““The smell of good bread baking, like the sound of lightly flowing water, is indescribable in its evocation of innocence and delight.” ”
This bread is a good compromise between the modern approach to baking bread, and the old school sourdough previously detailed. It takes all day, but there is almost no time spent doing anything. I’ll start this first thing in the morning, go about my day, and pre-heat the oven when I start making dinner. Fresh bread on the table elevates any meal, and this one is hard to beat in ease and quality. Because it ferments for 8 to 24 hours (yes you can leave it laying around if your dinner plans change) it has a depth of character far beyond most instant yeast breads. The crust is crisp, and the crumb is firm, moist, and chewy.
In the morning, measure:
3 cups all purpose organic flour
1 ½ teaspoons sea salt
½ teaspoon instant yeast
into a bowl and stir together. Add:
1 ½ cups warm water
Stir, just until there is no more dry flour at the bottom of the bowl. That’s it. You’re done. Cover it with plastic and leave it on the counter while you go about your day.
When you’re ready to bake it, heat your oven to 450F. Put a Dutch oven in the oven, without the lid. Once the oven reaches temperature, set a time for 30 minutes. While the Dutch oven continues to heat, uncover your dough, and flour your counter. Sprinkle the top of the dough with flour, and flour your hands. Tilt the bowl and free the dough, staring at the top edge, onto the floured surface. Without over handling the dough, shape it into a ball by tucking the edges underneath. Cover it with the bowl until the timer goes off.
Pull the Dutch oven out of the oven and flour your hands, again. Gently lift the dough and set it into the Dutch oven. Put the lid on and return it to the oven for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and continue baking for 10 more minutes, or until you reach your desired shade of golden brown. Place your loaf on a rack to cool. This one is so nice warm that I usually time it to be out of the oven about half an hour before dinner. It reheats well, too.
Variations… For substance, one of the cups of flour can be swapped for whole-wheat flour. For a savory twist, add a tablespoon of dill seeds to the dry ingredients. That’s my wife’s favorite, and it can’t be beat with a big bowl of elk stew!
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